Google isn't making a cellphone, they're making a platform.

[darxus]

First models expected in the second half of 2008.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/wheres-my-gphone.html

The platform is called Android.

"It is built to be truly open."
"Android is built on the open Linux Kernel."
http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/android_overview.html

Comments

[cathijosephine.livejournal.com]

Yaaaayyy!!

[mangosteen]

Makes sense.
A cellphone is just a product.
A platform is a cash cow.

[deadwinter.livejournal.com]

As you can imagine, I am unconviced. From the FAQ at http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/android_faq.html

As the entire platform is open, companies can remove functionality if they choose

The relevant question to me is what I can do with the phone. Can I install something else other than gmail or hotmail that listens to POP (or whatever phones use) and sends stuff to SMTP (or whatever phones use). Do I need a "developers license"? Do apps have to be "certified"? What is the effective barrier of entry to write code that will work with every carrier? What hooks are there in the platform for carriers to disable non-carrier provided music, ringtones and messaging? If carriers take away Bluetooth profiles, can I put them back?

[tober.livejournal.com]

My take on this is that it's utterly doomed to failure like every similar effort to date - despite Google throwing their weight behind it. I think it's evidence that Google doesn't take this particularly seriously (or that they're utterly unwilling to become a "hardware company"). If they really wanted to make a gPhone they would. They're not, so clearly they don't. I'm sure that when and if products based on the platform make it to market they will have some traction from the Google association, but I'm predicting that this will neither be an iPhone killer nor something that changes the way that wireless carriers do business (e.g. by creating advertising-supported wireless phone service).